Schools adopt Earth Hour

The WWF coordinated Earth Hour event has spurned the interest of not only the local individuals and businesses but the various secondary and primary schools around Fiji. Schools from Suva-Nausori area, Lautoka, Nadi and Sigatoka are getting involved in the Earth Hour campaign. These include Nadi College, Sabeto Sungam School, Saraswati College, Assemblies of God (AOG) High School, International Secondary School, Rishikul Sanatan College, International Primary, Laucala Bay Secondary, Suva Sangam College and St Joseph's Secondary School and Adi Cakobau School.

Since the 29th falls on a Saturday, Non Boarding schools have agreed to switch off for one hour on Friday. St Joseph Secondary has confirmed that all ceiling fans will be switched off for an hour in show of support for this event.

Sister Genevieve, Principal of St Joseph Secondary School said, “We will have a green day on Friday and there will be no photocopying and fans will be switched off.”

“We will also observe the 1 hour whereby the students and staff will sit and reflect on the environment,” she said.

St Thomas Secondary School and St Jospehs Secondary were one of the first schools to join the Earth Hour Campaign in Fiji.

Kim Beddoes, Earth Hour Events Coordinator said, “The response that we have been getting from primary and secondary schools around the country has been really overwhelming."

"When we go out to schools and talk about Earth Hour, it is really very good to hear that most of these students know the importance of the environment and the steps needed to be taken to safeguard it."

"For the Sydney event last year, while there was a lot of media coverage for the event, what made the event more successful was that it was the children that really helped spread the message of Earth Hour to their family," Beddoes added, "so we are hoping that when these school children go back to their homes they will remind their parents and family that on the 29th of March from 8 to 9pm they should switch off."

Earth Hour also aims to demonstrate the connection between energy usage and climate change.

Earth Hour is about simple changes that will collectively help cut peoples greenhouse gas emissions. The campaign encourages people to take long term actions such as businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.